6 months ago

How time flies.  6 months ago, I left Charlottetown airport with Kevin on one side and France and Marcel from the Montreal Regional Office on the other side waving goodbye.  I was petrified.  What had I done and who was I to accept a job in France for a year.  Everyone told me that I should do it, that I could do it and that it was going to be an opportunity of a lifetime.  They were right.  It is the highlight of my career and I feel so at home here.  I have met such incredible people.  I work with fantastic people.  One thing that I can tell you is that up to now, I have never taken one day here for granted.  I cherish every moment that I am either at work, at home or just out.  On that note, I should celebrate.  Might as well have a glass of wine.

Tomorrow, I am leaving for home.  I have things to do, people to see and places to go.  Oh my, 2 weeks is going to go by fast.  Plus I have to open all my gifts.  I do have gifts right Kevin and Allen.  If not, just wrap something I have at home.  That's what the guides did.   When I wasn't at work, they wrapped everything I had on my desk and put it under the Christmas tree.  I started to open them and thought, oh that looks familiar then I caught on.  Now can't you feel the love.  I just love unwrapping.   I haven't sent my Christmas cards yet.  My first one will be to Oma, then Claudia and her family, aunt Pierrette, aunt Lorraine.  I'll surprise the rest of you.

I turned on my Christmas tree lights after work and Charlie Brown's tree is nicer than mine.  I have this thing (and Judi you know this) I can't stand anything that is crooked.  Well my tree is very crooked.  That's not how you spell crooked.  OK I'll use another word.  My tree leans and it's driving me crazy.  Here is a picture.  Oh and do you see the gifts, they are mine.  I'm not suppose to open them before Christmas so I don't know what they are.  OK I lied, I peeked.

I went easy on the decorations this year.  I didn't want to over do it and outdo my neighbors.  Although they do have nicer decorations than me and I could kind of borrow them until I leave Tuesday then put them back.  Umm...must draw out my plan.

Here are my decorations.

OK, are we done laughing now.  At least I'm in the spirit and they are so me.  Especially the legs.

I saw a few people from Charlottetown this week at work.  It's always nice to see familiar faces.  By the way, Chuck thank you so much for the lovely gift.  Judy delivered it and I love them.  They will come in handy on my next trip to Paris at the Moulin Rouge.  You have taste my friend.  We must do lunch when I'm home.

Pier-Antoine and Tessa were here last week.  It's always nice to see you Pier-Antoine and Tessa, it was nice meeting you.  Kids today, they travel all over the place.  Monday morning they were in Barcelona, then flew to Paris for a few hours then took the train to come and see me.  They didn't even look tired.  We went out for supper in ghost-town Arras on a Monday night then came home around 10:00.  Ya Sunday and Monday in Arras, well alot of places are not opened.  We managed to find a restaurant though.  They visited Vimy on Tuesday and told the guide that they knew me.  I felt important.  Then they visited Arras.  When I got home they were still here so I was lucky that I saw them before they left.  Pier-Antoine as usual, left me a postcard with nice words. 

Last Monday I went to wash the car.   André had given me instructions on how to go through the car wash, but I didn't remember.  Maybe I didn't have my glasses on when he told me and I can't hear if I don't have my glasses on.  Anyone else have that problem.  Anyway, there I go.  Got the ticket for the car wash.  The machine that you punch in the number is quite a few feet from the car wash.  I stop the car, punch in the number, then the car wash starts.  I'm not even in the car wash yet.  I run to the car, get in it and try to put my wheels in the little thingy thing.  The brushes have already started to spin by this time. Well I sit there and this big machine goes back and forth all around the car.  I thought that I was moving.  I stopped the car (I was in park but the car was still running) and noticed that I wasn't moving.  What a weird and sick feeling.  It seemed to take forever.  Anyway when I got home, I had to take a gravol.  Who needs to take a gravol when you go wash a car.  Apparently me.   Ever so nice André explained the car wash procedures to me again.  Louise, he said.  You park the car in the car wash, make sure the tires are in the groove thing, stop the car, get out of the car and then go punch in your number because the machine starts right away.  Yup, I didn't have my glasses on.  I didn't hear that.

I have been so busy since the week-end.  Friday, Karine and John came over to visit me.  They are 2 guides that worked with me at Beaumont-Hamel.  Saturday, Christi and André had me over for snacks in the evening.  They really are great friends.  I met Christi's parents on SKYPE.  I thought her mother was her sister.  She looks very young.  Sunday I had a surprise visit from Zina and her parents.  They buzzed in and I let them in.  Zina had a present for me so I took the present from Melissa (and you all know how excited I get) and all of a sudden Greg shows me the carry-on bag with Zina in it.  Now I was no longer interested in the gift.  I know, it's hard to believe...me and gifts....but Zina was here.  Today I also got a present from Bob.  Those cats are so thoughtful.  Yesterday I also had a get-together at my place for all the guides.  We ate pizza, laughed, I read their cards.  They were great.  I am going to miss them.  They were my first all session guides.  Today was their last day of work.  Some are going home, some are still travelling.  They all have a little place in my heart.  

I made a list of things that I have to bring back with me.  Hellsman mayonaise, Mrs. Dash, more peanut butter, I have to lay off the Nutella....chocolate overdose.  Wednesday I drank a little bit of Redbull.  Well I was bouncing off the wall.  Ping Ping Ping from one wall to the other.  I had never tried it and someone convinced me to taste it.  All I had was 2 sips.  Thank you very much for the sugar rush....NOT.  Who drinks that stuff.  I felt terrible after.

Tonight I went out for supper with Melissa, Greg, André and Christi.  We went to Tomate - Cerise.  Great place to eat.  Well I still have some packing to do and it's already late so I probably will not blog for awhile because I'll be busy trying to organize my house for Christmas and doing some shopping.  I called Kevin tonight and the poor soul is cleaning the house before I arrive.  He will be picking me up at the airport.

So to all, Happy Holidays and a very nice New Year.  I will be seeing some of you shortly so get the wine ready cause Loulou's back in town.

Here are a few pictures of the guides and Zina.